Focus Fanatics Forum banner

The "Official" Suspension Thread

1M views 185 replies 102 participants last post by  Strangewingz 
#1 ·
I was bored, so I put this together. Perhaps a sticky from the mods?

Here you will find everything you need to know about aftermarket suspensions for the Ford Focus. Spring rates, ride heights, impressions on the suspension, prices, pictures, etc...

If you own an SVT, subtract about .75" from the ride height drop, as the SVT comes lowered from the factory.

Please PM me if you find any errors or have things to add that I missed. Thanks.

Items listed like this with all available information.

Brand:
Rate:
Drop:
Approximate Price:
Impressions:
Pictures:


Full Suspension Kits

SVT

F: 129 lb/in
R: 157 lb/in

.75"

$245+

Very good daily driven set-up. Tends towards understeer, but that can be dialed out. Not that large of a drop, but great compromise of comfort and handling.





Eibach Pro-System:

F: 137 lb/in
R: 171 lb/in

1.5"

$489+ (Pro-System Plus includes Eibach Anti-Sway Bars)

A slight step up from the SVT kit, still a little understeery, but another great compromise of daily driving and good handling. Covers most people's needs in the ride, drop, and handling departments.



With 18's:



Eibach Sport-System

F: 131~262 lb/in
R: 102~171 lb/in

2"

$425+

The drop gives a great looking stance with 17" wheels and the right size tires. Big improvement of handling is easily noticed compared to stock setup. Not too stiff, not too loose some consider it just right. Add some other suspension parts (sway bars, strut bar, etc...), and you're all set for an excellent ride. Tire choice is important, as some of the larger 16" and 17" tire sizes will rub without fender modification.





H&R Cup Kit

Somewhere in the 200's.

2.75"

$625+

Very extreme drop, and a rather stiff ride. Not for those in search of comfort. However, I had this kit for about 6 months and I loved every minute of it. It was extremely well balanced, looked amazing, and wasn't too rough. It does require either low profile tires or fender modification to avoid tire rubbing, however. With an H&R Rear Sway Bar to compliment it, this kit simply rotated. Felt like RWD at times.





Koni Sport Kit

Unknown

1.6"

$600+

I do not know much about this kit, other than that it costs the exact same amount of money as
brand new Koni shocks and struts, without the springs. Also, the Koni shocks and struts are adjustable, which means they can be soft for daily driving, and you can turn them up for racing.

KW Sport-Kit

Unknown

F: 1.75"
R: 1.5"

$600+


Springs
(I suggest that when you lower your focus you also buy some matching dampers for the springs you purchase, if you do not purchase a kit)

Eibach Pro-Kit

F: 137 lb/in
R: 171 lb/in

1.5"

$230+

Eibach Sportline

F: 131~262 lb/in
R: 102~171 lb/in

2"

$220+

Eibach Goldline

F: 140
R: 170

1.5"





Tein S-Tech

F: 157 lbs/in
R: 179 lbs/in

F: 2.3"
R: 2"

$186+





Progress

F: 142 lb/in
R: 160 lb/in

1.8"

$145+





H&R Sport

Progressive

1.4"

$201+





H&R Race

F: 325 lb/in
R: 375 lb/in

F: 2"
R: 1.7"

$215+





Apex

F: 150lb/in
R: 200lb/in

Come in both a 1.5" and 2" drop.

$159 for 1.5" drop, $109 for 2" drop

1.5" drop:



2" drop:





Vogtland

F: 125~154
R: 165~188

1.5"

$160+





Intrax

F: 225~275 lb/in
R: 275~325 lb/in

1.5"

$170+





Sprint

Progressive

1.8"

$150+



With 18's:



FK Sport

Unknown

Available in 35-45mm (~1.5") and 60-40mm (~2") drops.

$165+

35-45 drop:





60-40 drop:






Dampers

Eibach Pro-Damper

Ford Racing

Koni

KYB AGX

Gaz

Spax V-Sport
(Great non-adjustable damper for lowering springs. Inexpensive substitute to the more expensive adjustable dampers. Work great on almost all lowering springs.)

Spax TA Adjustable


Coilover Kits
(All coilovers offer adjustable heights, from almost stock, to slammed to the ground)

H&R

F: 370~460 lb/in
R: 260 lb/in

$1,000+

Believed by most track racers to be the best budget, daily driver set-up for the Focus. EXTREMELY well balanced and corners on rails. Doesn't offer dampening adjustability, but all things considered, doesn't really need it, the dampers are perfect.





H&R PCS

F: 370~460 lb/in
R: 260 lb/in

$1,500+

Same thing as the regular coilovers, only with dampening adjustability.





Tein Super Street

F: 280-504lb/in
R: 392lb/in

$1,280+





Ground Control

Customizable

$600+

Ground Control Coilovers come as springs only, and require you to get dampers. The best off-the-shelf match are Konis, however, to truly work correctly, they should be shortened and revalved.





Gaz

Customizable

$1,035+





Spax

Unknown, over 500.

$945+





Bilstein PSS9

F: 370lb/in + 145lb/in helper spring
R: 285lb/in

$1,400+





FK Highsport

F: 400 lb/in
R: 343 lb/in

$1,000+



Eibach Pro-Street

F: 250~350
R: 350~400

$1,050+



KW Variant

Unknown

http://www.kw-suspension.com/en/30_..._1=Focus&level=3&hersteller_1=FORD&gruppe=all

Variant 1:



With 18's:



Leda

Customizable

http://www.leda.com/






Sway Bars

ZX3/ZX5:
F: 21mm
R: 20mm

SPI/S/SE:
F: 18mm
R: None (All 2005 Focuses except for the ST and SES came without a rear sway bar and will require custom fabricated mounts to use one. Here is a nice example of how to do it: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2131030023&idx=1)

SVT/S2/Street Edition/ST/SES:
F: 21mm
R: 21mm

H&R:
F: 24mm $185
R: 24mm $180

Eibach $275:
F: 22mm
R: 25mm



Intrax $240:
F: 22mm
R: 25mm


Progress $120:
R:22mm


Steeda Race $290:
F: 25mm
R: 28.6mm


Suspension Techniques $160:
R: 21mm R or 22mm (listed as 7/8" which is 22.2mm)


Addco:
F: 22.2mm (7/8") $160
R: 22.2mm (7/8") $160

F2:
F: Endlinks $125 ($85 without bushings)
R: 25.4mm $149



Camber Adjustment Kits

Specialty Products Front Camber Plates

Progress Camber Kit

Eibach Rear Camber Bolts

K-Mac Camber Plates


Stress Bars

FocusSport

Focus-Central


List last updated 10/9/05.

Merge
 
See less See more
51
#2 ·
Thanks everyone, I think we needed it, it will help a lot of people. I will be constantly making edits and additions. I just added pictures of a Focus with Bilstein PSS9's, for example. Every time I find something new that isn't listed I will add it. I know there is a lot more out there. [thumb]
 
#3 ·
There is now pictures of every drop listed.

Links to every aftermarket sway bar added.

Cheaper price for Bilstein PSS9 Coilovers found.


rlhotka,
Changing out your front sway bar can be a very effective mod, it reduces body roll and if matched with a good rear sway bar will put your car on rails. One very popular and raved about set-up is the H&R bars, from talking to people who own them, they say that the feeling is very neutral and body roll is almost non-existent. I autocrossed a car at nationals with front and rear H&R bars, among other things and I concur, the car stayed very flat and felt extremely neutral. However, keep in mind that the larger and stiffer you go with sway bars, the more you take away from your car's independent suspension characteristics, and there will be an increase in potentially unwanted mannerisms, such as jarring when going over bumps. It leans toward giving the car the feeling of solid front and rear axles.
 
#5 ·
Foci_Fosho said:
and yeah... all these kits will work on the newer 2005 models.
Except for the rear sway bars, which require some fabbing to mount on non-ST's. [;)]
 
#6 ·
several questions.

1. What is the "Matching Dampers" for the H&R Race Springs.
2. Who's this car?


3. you say that all 05's except ST have no Rear sway bar, BUT when I was looking into 05 SES (the one I bought) the step up from SE suspensions was Rear Sway Bar. Now I m confused and a little upset (cheated ?)

4. You mention the SVT and Eibach Pro Set are the best compromise for actual confort - but are understeery..is this more or less understeery than Stock setup.

4.5 Not sticking to the kits is there a way to put together a possibly better setup? I want GREAT suspension, but that includes not-jolty ride on whatever surface (if-y-know-w-I-m)

Thanks for the replies.

Igor
 
#8 ·
Ummmm, did I just miss it, or was there no explanation of the different dampers? I think I'm going to have to buy new ones as I believe my front ones are shot. Any suggestsions?
 
#9 ·
Due to my limited knowledge and experience with dampers, as well as not wanting to be bias, I left the description to the respective links.
 
#10 ·
As far as dampers is concerned its all about what you want out of your car. If you just want the lower look with spring and still smooth driving characteristics its probably best to go with dampers matched for springs, like the cup kit, or the eibach kit. If you want your car to handle great and see some track use I hear you can't go wrong wioth the koni's, but one thing to think about is adjustablity. From what I read, dampers with 2 adjustments are alot better than one. Takme for instance gaz, the have 2 external adjustments, one on top for rebound, one on bottom for 70% rebound, 30% bump or something like that. So far a all out race vehicle I would assume it would be better to get something along the lines of gaz, or any shock/strut combo that has seperate adustments.
 
#12 ·
leroy said:
Could you use coil overs with stock dampers
Can you? Yes. Would it be very bad to? Yes.

Most coilover kits come with their own set of matched dampers anyways.
 
#16 ·
I don't think they are very high quality and I would recommend you look into something else.
 
#17 ·
Um, all the prices should be links to the sites that carry at those prices.
 
#20 ·
I'd like to add my rear sway bar clamps. Here are some pics of them. They basically allow you to retrofit a RSB to your '05-'06-'07 car. Here is my '05





Sorry for the tiny pic.... [8]
 
#21 · (Edited)
More suspension and brake info to be added to the sticky.

http://www.tunerwerx.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=429

Ford focus 8 piston brakes.

http://www.tunerwerx.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=430

Full adjustable coilovers. Adjustable pillow ball top mount. 7.5kg/mm / 5kg/mm (420 lb/in front 23lb/in rear) spring rates



Website is www.tunerwerx.com

http://www.tunerwerx.com/

Thanks, I thought that would be a good addition.
Jonathan C.

__________________
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top